Machine for grinding balls



Feb. 23., 1926 B. F. MAHE MACHINE FOR GRINDING BALLS Filed Dec. 10, 1923 2- Sheets-Sheet l Chateau,

5:0 grind-stones towards the plates Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BASILE FRANQOIS MAI-IE, OF CHARENTON, FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR GRINDING BALLS.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,739.

To all whom it may concern:

l3e it known that I, BASILE Marni, engineeiya citizen of France, residing at 18 FRANQOIS the Republic of Rue du Petit Charenton, Seine, France, have iiivented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Grinding Balls, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a machine for grinding balls for ball'bearings of the type in which two fixed vertical plates are arranged between two oppositely arranged grind-stones, which are carried by poppets mounted in slideways upon a frame, the

pressure necessary for the grinding of the balls, which are placed bet-ween the grindstones and the plates, and pass alternately from one plate to the other at each revolution, being assured by the movement of. the

under the action of a system of springs. In existing machines of this type, the spring pressure is exerted upon the poppets carrying the shafts of the grind-stones and tends to move these fixed to the frame and the result is that the poppets cannot be fixed upon the frame,

for the reason that they must be able to yielddamages them.

The present invention is intended to obviate this drawback and it is characterized by the fact that the two plates can move axially in their support, which latter is fixed rigidly to the frame, adjustable springs being mounted between each of the plates and their support.

The invention is shown,diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a section along II, II of Fig. 1.

i 0' Fig. 3 is a vertical axial, section of the support for the plates.

Fig. 4 is a section along IV, IV, Fig. 5 and shows the device which serves to pass the balls from one plate to the other.

latter towards the plates, which are rigidly Fig. 5 is a plan View of this device with portions in section.

Fig. 6 is a section along the line VI, VI, Fig. 1, showing the meansforrotat ng the grindstones.

' The machine consists of a frame 1, form ng a receptacle and supporting, at each of ts ends, two poppets 2, which can move in slideways and which carry the shafts of the grindstones 3. These latter rotate in the same direction and are driven by any suitable transmission means from a stepped pulley 4 situated at the extremity of the machine. Said transmission means is shown as consisting of a shaft 21 to which is keyed the pulley 4, which shaft 21 drives two transverse shafts 22 by means of bevel wheels 23 splined upon the shaft 21 Which' mesh with bevel wheels at keyed upon the shafts 22. A worm 25 is keyedto each of the shafts 22 and drives a worm wheel 26 keyed upon the shaft of the corresponding grindstone. The grindstones 3 may be rotated by hand, when necessary, "by means of cranks mounted on the shafts 22, as will be explained below.- In the centre of, the frame 1, there is rigidly fixed the holder 5 for the plates in which are mounted two plates 6, 6 having grooved faces and being located opposite the grind-stones 3.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the plates 6, 6 are mounted on hollow shafts 7, 7' which telescope one within the other and are supported by the plate-holder 5. Between the inner face of each plate and the plateholder 5 there are arranged compression springs 8, 8'. having the same force. The shafts carrying the grind-stones are traversed by a screw threaded rod 9 which is rigidly fixed in one of the poppets, at one The poppets 2 can be locked upon their slideways by means of locking devices 11.

The grooved plates 6, 6 are connected respectively to dynamometres12, 12 which indicate the degree of compression of the springs 8, 8 when the machine is in opera- .tion.

The plates 6, 6 are both in two. pieces, so as to enable their activegrooved faces to be changed when necessary. The non- 5 and thereby of the machine. This 'of different diameter in 11 are locked. The

removal portion of the plates is provided with a fork 13 (Fig. 2) 'which engages a shaft 14 rigidly fixed in the plate holder tating during t .e operation of the machine. I will now describe the device for transferring the balls fro one plate to the other at each turn of the bal s during the operation device is shown in (187- tail in Fi s. 4 and 5. This device connects the two p ates 6, 6' at the front of the machine. It is constituted by an inclined plane 15 having a number of passages 16 which is equal to the number of grooves in the plates 6, 6'. These passages direct the balls from one groove of one of the plates into a groove the other plate, and the member 15 is inclined in such a manner that the{ balls descend by gravity from the left hand plate towards the right hand plate. The halls are cau ht on the plate 6' by a projection 17, am?

projection '18 which causes them to pass on to another inclined plane 19, which returns the balls to the plate 6. This in clined plane 19 may or may not comprise a plurality of passages, in the same way as the inclined plane 15 but, if it is not provided with passages, the balls would pass haphazard into any groove of the plate 6'. The grindstones 3 revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows. L

The method of operation is as follows: The locking devices 11 being released, and the poppets 2 being moved apart so as to leave, between the grindstones 3 and the grooved plate 6, 6", the necessary interval for the free passage of .the balls in the grooves, the balls are introduced into the grooves by placing them upon the inclines 15 and 19 and the grindstones 3 are rotated by hand by means of cranks 20. When the grooves of the plates contain a sufficient number of balls, the maehineis started and the handwheel 10 is operated so as to move the poppets 2 and grindstones 3 of the plates 6, {3' towards each other. The handwheel 10 is operated until' the dynamometres 12,

v12' indicate a pressure of approximately 3000 kilogrammes, whereupon the devices indstones 3 are sprinkled with kerosene uring the entire grindthat is'to say, when t ing operation. From time to time a ball is selected from one or the other of the inclines 15, 19 and isrmeasured. When the desired dimension is ap roximately reached,

from two to three hundredths of a millimetre more than the finished size, the pressure is reducedto 1000 kilo amines by acting upon the handwheel. 1 When finally, the balls have the desired dimension, the machine is stopped,'1the handwheel 10 is released as ,well as the locking devices" 11- and the poppets 2 are moved apart, in such a revents the plates from ro upon the plate 6 by a e diameter is only manner that the finished balls can escape easily from the plates 6, 6.and' the grind stones 3, and fall into the receptacle of the frame 1.

It' will be noticed that the mounting of the plates 6, 6 enables each of them to ield slightly under the action of irreguarities of the balls, either by sliding axially or by yielding radially owing to the small amount of clearance which necessarily exists in the adjustment of the shafts 7, 7 in'their bearings. I

The invention is only described and shown by Way of a merely explanatory example, which is not in any way limitative, and it is obvious that certain modifications could be made therein without thereby departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim: v I

1. A machine for grinding balls for ballbearings, comprising grooved plates for receiving the balls, grindstones rotatably mounted opposite said plates, means for transferring the balls from one plate to the other, a support for said plates fixed to the frame, said plates being movable axially in their support .and a spring. interposed between each plate and its support.

2. A machine for grindin balls for ballbearings comprising grooved plates for receiving the balls, grindstones rotatably mounted opposite said plates, means for transferring the balls from one plate to the other, a support for said plates'fixed to the frame, said plates being movable axially in their support, a spring interposed between each plate and its support and means for regulating the pressure of said springs.

3. A machine for grinding balls for ballbearings, comprising grooved plates forreceiving the balls, grindstones rotatably mounted opposite said plates. means for transferring the balls from one plate to the other, a support for said plates fixed to the frame, hollow shafts carrying said plates and telescoping one Within the other and in the support, a spring interposed between each plate and its support and means for regulating the pressure of said springs.

4:. A machine for grinding balls for ballbearings, comprising grooved plates for receiving the balls, grindstones rotatabl mounted opposite saidplates, means for transferring the balls from one plate to the other,;a support for said plates fixed to the frame, a spring interposed between each plate and its support, means for varying the pressure of said springs and-means for ind1- eating said pressure.

5. A machine for grinding balls for ballbearin'gs, comprising grooved plates for receiving the balls, grindstones rotatably mounted opposite said plates, means for transferring the balls from one plate to the no other, a support for said plates fixed to the frame, a spring interposed between each plate and the support, a fixed shaft carried by said frame and engaging a notch in each of said plates. I

(S. A machine for grinding the balls oi ball-bearings, comprising a frame, two poppets mounted on said frame and capable of being locked in position thereon, grindstones-carried by said poppets, a support fixed on said frame, grooved plates carried by said support in proximity to said grindstones, means for transferring the balls from one plate to the other, a rod having one end connected to one of said poppets and passing through the other end of said rod being screw-threaded, said support and the other poppet, springs interposed between said support and said plates, and a hand wheel engaging the screw-threads on said rod for altering the distance apart of said poppets and means for rotating said grind-- stones.

BASILE FRANCOIS MAHE. 

